1. Are there many museums in your hometown?
Honestly, I have no clue. Museums and historical sites are places that I couldn’t care less about, so I don’t really notice if there are any in Hanoi. Maybe there’re a couple of museums somewhere, I think.
2. Do you think museums are useful for visitors to your hometown?
If they want to know more about our traditional activities and culture, sadly, no. If they find our history and the colonial wars that took place in Vietnam interesting, then yes. I think whether a place is considered ‘useful’ or ‘suitable’ for tourists depends on what they want to achieve from their visit.
3. Do you often visit a museum?
It’s like… never. For me, one should not ever go to a museum unless they are already bored to tears. Maybe I’m a little bit biased against all kinds of museums in Vietnam ever since I last visited one. I guess it’s just very boring having to walk all the way through a building just to see some pictures and odd-looking things I’m not allowed to touch.
4. Did you go to any museums when you were a child?
It was hard not to. I mean, it’s one of the ‘compulsory’ extra-curricular activities that we had back in primary school. We went to a different museum each year with the whole school, and nobody was allowed to be absent from this annual activity, even if you were sick that day.
5. Do you think museums are important?
Though I’m not really a fan of museums, it’s quite impossible to deny the importance of these places. They hold all forms of evidence of a country’s historical development, such as artefacts or documents… you name it. Besides, what makes museums very special to our society, in my opinion, is the way they teach us to have gratitude and appreciation for things that happened in our country in the past.
6. Do you think it’s suitable for museums to sell things to visitors?
Yea, why not? In fact, most museums are free of charge, so apart from the often inadequate government funding, these museums virtually have no other source of budget to cover operating and management expenses. So, revenue from selling souvenirs can act as additional income to help maintain them.
7. When was the last time you visited a museum?
I can’t really think of the answer for this question off the top of my head, perhaps because it’s been such a long time since the last time I went to a museum. But I don’t think I’ve ever paid a visit to any place of such a kind after primary school.
8. Are there many museums in your country?
There are! Museums in Vietnam are quite diverse, and they cover almost every field, namely the War Remnants Museum, the Fine Art Museum and plenty more. However, museums are not so appealing to the young, which is unfortunate, they could have been much more educational.
9. Do you think museums are useful for visitors?
I don’t think so I’m afraid. Museums are more like tourist attraction, because if tourists wish to search for information on a place, the Internet would be a much better option.
10. Do you often visit museum?
I don’t. I wish I do but I never have the time. My parents took me to Vietnam Museum of Ethnology every Lunar New Year festival so that I have better understanding of Vietnamese’s culture. My memories of that place are truly invaluable.
11. Did you go to any museums when you were a child?
I did, very often actually. As I said before, The Vietnam Museum of Ethology was my childhood! If my memory serves me well, it was 2007 Spring when I first visited the place. I still remember vividly how amazed I was stepping into the museum!
12. When was the last time you visited a museum?
Ever since I graduated and worked as a researcher, I’ve never had a chance to visit any museum much as I wish to. What a pity!
13. Do you think museums are important?
Absolutely! Museums are where knowledge and culture are preserved. Apparently, museums are of paramount importance and play an irreplaceable role in our educational system.
